Method and apparatus for selecting between multiple gesture recognition systems

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for selecting between multiple gesture recognition systems includes an electronic device determining a context of operation for the electronic device that affects a gesture recognition function performed by the electronic device. The electronic device also selects, based on the context of operation, one of a plurality of gesture recognition systems in the electronic device as an active gesture recognition system for receiving gesturing input to perform the gesture recognition function, wherein the plurality of gesture recognition systems comprises an image-based gesture recognition system and a non-image-based gesture recognition system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/073,113, filed Nov. 6, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/846,754, filed Jul. 16, 2013, eachof which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to gesture recognition systemsand more particularly to smart switching between gesture recognitionsystems.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablet computers, continueto evolve through increasing levels of performance and functionality asmanufacturers design products that offer consumers greater convenienceand productivity. One area where performance gains have been realized isin gesture recognition technology. Electronic devices with integratedgesture recognition systems (GRSs) can be controlled without the needfor tactile or touch input, which has distinct advantages.

Gesturing is much more natural than manipulating control structures,such as buttons, which can wear out, or touch screens, which are proneto smudging. GRSs allow for gloved operation and will also betteraccommodate the smaller form factors of next-generation devices.Currently, however, new innovation is still needed to overcomedifficulties associated with the use of GRSs in electronic devices. SomeGRSs, for example, can fail to adequately perform gesture recognitionunder certain contexts of operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer toidentical or functionally similar elements throughout the separateviews, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated inand form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrateembodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention, and explainvarious principles and advantages of those embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device in accordance withsome embodiments of the present teachings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic device configured forimplementing embodiments in accordance with the present teachings.

FIG. 3 is a logical flowchart of a method for selecting a GRS inaccordance with some embodiments of the present teachings.

FIG. 4 is a table showing the active GRS selected for different contextsof operation in accordance with some embodiments of the presentteachings.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of anon-image-based GRS in accordance with some embodiments of the presentteachings.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of anon-image-based GRS in accordance with some embodiments of the presentteachings.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of anon-image-based GRS in accordance with some embodiments of the presentteachings.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendrawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements inthe figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help toimprove understanding of embodiments of the present invention. Inaddition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require theorder illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actionsand/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order ofoccurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that suchspecificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.

The apparatus and method components have been represented whereappropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only thosespecific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments ofthe present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with detailsthat will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the arthaving the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally speaking, pursuant to the various embodiments, the presentdisclosure provides a method and apparatus for selecting betweenmultiple GRSs. An electronic device selects a GRS that achieves certainperformance characteristics based on a context of operation for thedevice. In accordance with the teachings herein, a method performed byan electronic device for selecting a GRS includes: determining a contextof operation for the electronic device that affects a gesturerecognition function performed by the electronic device; and selecting,based on the context of operation, one of a plurality of GRSs in theelectronic device as an active GRS for receiving gesturing input toperform the gesture recognition function, wherein the plurality of GRSsincludes an image-based GRS and a non-image-based GRS.

Also in accordance with the teachings herein is an electronic device,configured to perform a gesture recognition function, having a pluralityof GRSs including: an image-based GRS configured to receive firstgesturing input using an imager to perform the gesture recognitionfunction and a non-image-based GRS configured to receive secondgesturing input without using an imager to perform the gesturerecognition function. The electronic device further includes aprocessing element configured to select an active GRS from the pluralityof GRSs, wherein the selecting is based on a context of operation forthe electronic device that affects the gesture recognition functionperformed by at least one of the GRSs.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular FIG. 1, an electronicdevice (also referred to herein simply as a “device”) implementingembodiments in accordance with the present teachings is shown andindicated generally at 102. Specifically, device 102 represents asmartphone including: a camera 104, configured to capture images; fourlight-emitting diodes (LEDs) 106-112, configured to emit infrared light;a photodiode 114, configured to detect infrared light; a light meter116, configured to detect an ambient light level; a user interface 118,capable of accepting tactile or touch input and displaying visualoutput; a first icon 120, configured to indicate and/or select animage-based GRS; and a second icon 122, configured to indicate and/orselect a non-image-based GRS. While a smartphone is shown at 102, nosuch restriction is intended or implied as to the type of device towhich these teachings may be applied. Other suitable devices include,but are not limited to: personal digital assistants (PDAs); audio- andvideo-file players (e.g., MP3 players); personal computing devices, suchas tablets; and wearable electronic devices, such as devices worn with awristband. For purposes of these teachings, a device is any electronicapparatus that can select between multiple GRSs capable of performing agesture recognition function.

Referring to FIG. 2, a block diagram for a device in accordance withembodiments of the present teachings is shown and indicated generally at200. For one embodiment, the block diagram 200 represents the device102. Specifically, the schematic diagram 200 shows: infraredtransmitters 202, an infrared sensor 204, a power supply 206, motionsensors 208, non-volatile storage 210, memory 212, a processing element214, an image processing module 216, an imager 218, and a photosensor220, all operationally interconnected by a bus 222.

A limited number of device elements 202-222 are shown at 200 for ease ofillustration, but other embodiments may include a lesser or greaternumber of such elements in a device. Moreover, other elements needed fora commercial embodiment of a device that incorporates the elements shownat 200 are omitted from FIG. 2 for clarity in describing the enclosedembodiments.

We now turn to a brief description of the elements within the schematicdiagram 200. In general, the infrared transmitters 202, the infraredsensor 204, the processing element 214, the imager 218, and thephotosensor 220 are configured with functionality in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure as described in detail below withrespect to the remaining figures. “Adapted,” “operative,” “capable” or“configured,” as used herein, means that the indicated elements areimplemented using one or more hardware devices, such as one or moreoperatively coupled processing cores, memory devices, and interfaces,which may or may not be programmed with software and/or firmware as themeans for the indicated elements to implement their desiredfunctionality. Such functionality is supported by the other hardwareshown in FIG. 2, including the device elements 206, 208, 210, 212, 216,and 222.

Continuing with the brief description of the device elements shown at200, as included within the device 102, the processing element 214includes arithmetic logic and registers necessary to perform the digitalprocessing required by the device 102 to process context data and selecta GRS in a manner consistent with the embodiments described herein. Forone embodiment, the processing element 214 represents a primarymicroprocessor of the device 102. For example, the processing element214 can represent an application processor of the smartphone 102. Inanother embodiment, the processing element 214 is an ancillaryprocessor, separate from a central processing unit (CPU), dedicated toproviding the processing capability, in whole or in part, needed for thedevice elements 200 to perform their intended functionality.

The block element 202 represents a set of infrared transmitters. A“set,” as used herein, refers to one or more objects. For a particularembodiment, the transmitters 202 are infrared LEDs, for example, theLEDs 106-112. In different embodiments, the transmitters 202 emit lightof different frequencies, either within an infrared spectrum havingwavelengths of between 700 nanometers and 1 millimeter, or outside theinfrared spectrum. In further embodiments, the infrared transmitters 202can emit omnidirectional light, or focus light in a particulardirection. For one embodiment, a pattern of illumination represents acone of light extending outward from each transmitter 202 such that thelight intensity is greatest along the cone's central axis and falls offwith increasing angular and radial displacement. For another embodiment,the light emitted by each transmitter is modulated with an embeddedsignal that distinguishes it from light emitted by the othertransmitters.

The block element 204 represents an infrared sensor. For a particularembodiment, the sensor 204 is a photodiode, the photodiode 114, forexample, which is sensitive to the particular frequency of light emittedby the transmitters 202. The photodiode 204 can be of the same orsimilar construction as the infrared LEDs 202, which in addition toemitting light, also produce a voltage difference across their leadswhen subjected to light. For some embodiments, the block element 204represents multiple sensors, each configured to detect a frequency oflight emitted by at least one of the transmitters 202. In furtherembodiments, the one or more sensors 204 can indentify, from thefrequency, time, and/or the embedded signal of detected light, aparticular transmitter of the set of transmitters 202 from which thelight was emitted.

The power supply 206 supplies electric power to the device elements, asneeded, during the course of their normal operation. The power issupplied to meet the individual voltage and load requirements of thedevice elements that draw electric current. The power supply also powersup and powers down a device. For a particular embodiment, the powersupply includes a rechargeable battery.

The block element 208 represents one or more motion sensors that allowthe device 102 to determine movement. In a particular embodiment, themotion sensors 208 include at least one accelerometer or vibrationtransducer capable of shock and vibration measurements. For otherembodiments, the motion sensors 208 can include, but are not limited to:velocity sensors, piezoelectric sensors, gyroscopes, and globalpositioning system (GPS) receivers. Multiple sensors of a common typecan also take measurements along different axial directions. The motionsensors 208 allow the device 102 to determine its motion or velocity,acceleration, and/or higher-order derivatives of position with respectto time.

The non-volatile storage 210 provides the device 102 with long-termstorage for applications, data tables, and other media used by thedevice 102 in performing the methods described herein. For particularembodiments, the device 102 uses magnetic (e.g., hard drive) and/orsolid state (e.g., flash memory) storage devices. The memory 212represents short-term storage, which is purged when a power supply forthe device 102 is switched off and the device 102 powers down. In oneembodiment, the memory 212 represents random access memory (RAM) havingfaster read and write times than the non-volatile storage 210.

The block element 218 represents an imager, defined herein as a deviceconfigured to capture images. For a particular embodiment, the imager218 is a camera, such as the camera 104. The imager 218 includeselements needed to capture images of a vicinity of a device and toconvert the images to image data that can be processed by the processingelement 214 and or the image processing module 216. Image datarepresents the informational content of an image, independent of itsencoded format. The images may represent static images, such aspictures, or kinetic images, such as videos.

In one embodiment, converting images to image data involves convertingthe images to a digital format that can be stored electronically andtransmitted to the processing element 214 and/or the image processingmodule 216 for processing. Example codec technologies used for imageconversion include, but are not limited to, the Joint PhotographicExperts Group (JPEG) standard for pictures and the Moving PictureExperts Group (MPEG) standard for videos. Limitations, such as the focallength and the resolution of a lens used by a camera, for example,determine the effective range for which useful image data can beobtained. Useful image data is data that can be used by a GRS todetermine a gesture. A context of operation for the device 102 canrepresent additional limitations for obtaining useful data from theimager 218. For example, the imager 218 may be unable to capture auseful image in low light conditions. Descriptions of particularcontexts of operation and the limitations they represent are providedwith reference to FIG. 4.

The image processing module 216 represents computational resources usedin processing image data used for gesture recognition. The imageprocessing module can include one or more processing cores. In oneembodiment, the image processing module 216 is co-located, in whole orin part, with the processing element 214. In another embodiment, the oneor more processing cores of the image processing module 216 areconfigured as a separate processing unit, such as a graphics processingunit (GPU), dedicated to processing the image data provided by theimager 218.

The block element 220 represents a photosensor configured to measure alevel of ambient light. For a particular embodiment, the photosensor 220represents the light meter 116, which can provide the device 102 with anindication of how effective the imager 218 will be at capturing usefulimages given the ambient light level.

In an embodiment, the imager 218, the image processing module 216, andthe processing element 214 operate collectively as an image-based GRS.The image-based GRS, which may include additional elements not shown at200, allows a device, such as device 102, to perform a gesturerecognition function on gesturing input collected by the device whileusing an imager. A gesture, as used herein, is an expression of intentmade by a user of the device with the motion, position, or configurationof a body part or an implement held by a body part. If the user intendsfor the device to perform a particular preprogrammed operation, the usermakes a gesture programmed to trigger that operation.

Using the imager 218, the device captures one or more images of thegesture as gesturing input, processes the input to indentify thegesture, and performs the programmed operation. The device retains theone or more images in memory 212 as the image processing module 216compares objects within the images against a database of programmedgestures. The image processing module 216 identifies motion-basedgestures by using multiple images and comparing the relative position ofan object, such as the user's right hand, captured at different momentsin time. For some embodiments, the image processing module 216determines if an object is moving toward or away from the imager 218 byanalyzing how the size of the object's images changes in successive“snapshots.” In other embodiments, the image processing module 216determines the distance of an object from the imager 218 and/or how thatdistance is changing by using an autofocus function of the imager 218. Alarger focal length is needed, for example, to bring a more distantobject into focus.

The imager 218 is capable of image resolutions sufficient to enable theimage processing module 216 to identify preprogrammed gestures from thecaptured images. Additionally, the image processing module 216 iscapable of processing speeds that allow it to process the images andidentify gesture-based commands in real time. Capturing, storing, andprocessing high-resolution images in this way comes with apower-consumption cost.

A more energy efficient means of performing the gesture recognitionfunction involves a device receiving gesturing input without using theimager 218. For the device represented by the elements 200, the infraredtransmitters 202, the infrared sensor 204, and the processing element214 operate collectively as a non-image-based GRS, which does not relyon image data. Instead, the infrared sensor 204 receives gesturing inputas light emitted by the infrared transmitters 202 is reflected backtoward the device from an object used to perform a gesture. Determininggestures in this way, without the use of the imager 218, limits thenumber and type of gestures that the device can detect and identify. Forexample, a user can adjust the volume while listening to music on adevice using the image-based GRS by simply holding up four fingers. Thedevice identifies the gesture and changes its volume setting to “4.”Because of the complexity of gestures involving individual figures, theuser might adjust the volume up or down when the device is using thenon-image-based GRS by instead moving a hand up or down, respectively,in front of the infrared sensor 204. A further description of thegesture recognition function as performed by the non-image-based GRS isprovided with reference to FIG. 5.

We turn now to a detailed description of the functionality of the device102 and device elements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 at 102 and 200,respectively, in accordance with the teachings herein and by referenceto the remaining figures. FIG. 3 is a logical flow diagram illustratinga method 300 performed by a device, taken to be device 102 for purposesof this description, for selecting between multiple GRSs. The methodincludes the device 102 determining 302 a context of operation foritself.

A context of operation, as used herein, is defined as one or morecircumstances or conditions that relate to, affect, or are a consequenceof the operation of at least one of the multiple GRSs the device 102selects between. In a first example, if one of the GRSs the device 102selects between uses an imager 218 that needs ambient light to capturean image, then an ambient light level is a context of operation becauseit affects the operation of at least one GRS. In a second example, ifone GRS the device 102 selects between consumes more power than another,then power consumption is a context of operation because it is aconsequence of the operation of at least one GRS. A context ofoperation, as defined herein, also includes modes of operation or theoperational status of the device 102, such as when the device 102 isrunning a particular program or charging while connected to a charger,for example. Based on the context of operation, the device 102 selects304 one of the multiple GRSs it is equipped with as an active GRS. Bothof these examples are described in more detail below with reference toFIG. 4.

The active GRS is the one the device 102 utilizes for receivinggesturing input and performing the gesture recognition function. For anembodiment, the processing element 214 selects, using an algorithm, theactive GRS based on weighing a context that affects the performance ofthe GRS against the need for a type of processing performed by the GRS.Low light conditions, for example, might weigh against using animage-based GRS while a program running on the device 102 might performbest using the types of gestures the image-based GRS is configured toprocess.

Presented in FIG. 4 is a table 400 showing the active GRS for fourteendifferent contexts of operation. The fourteen different contexts ofoperation indicated in table 400 do not represent an exhaustive list.Other embodiments include additional contexts of operation. Further,some contexts of operation not shown include multiple circumstances orconditions that relate to, affect, or are a consequence of the operationof one or more GRSs the device 102 selects between. Thesemulti-condition contexts of operation are referred to herein as compoundcontexts of operation and are described in more detail below. The firstcolumn of table 400 indicates a context of operation as determined bythe device 102. The second and third columns represent a non-image-basedGRS and an image-based GRS, respectively. For the embodiments shown at400, these two GRSs represent the multiple GRSs from which the device102 selects an active GRS. Each row of table 400 indicates which GRS thedevice 102 selects given the context of operation specified for thatrow.

For the embodiment indicated at 402, the device 102 determines it isconnected to an external power source and selects the image-based GRS asthe active GRS. This selection is based on the image-based GRS beingable to recognize both more gestures and more complex gestures than thenon-image-based GRS. If the device 102 detects that it is connected to acharger or a docking station that supplies power, for example, the highpower consumption of the image-based GRS is given less weight by aselection algorithm run by the processing element 214.

If, conversely, the device 102 is running on one or more batteries thathave less than a full charge, the greater power consumption of theimage-based GRS is given more weight, and the device 102 selects thenon-image-based GRS because it consumes less power than the image-basedGRS. For the particular embodiment shown at 404, the device 102determines its remaining power level is below a threshold power leveland selects the non-image-based GRS. As defined herein, a threshold is apoint of demarcation that must exceeded, or in some cases not met, toelicit a response. The amount of remaining power available to the device102 is a context of operation because it relates to the operation of thetwo GRSs, each of which has a different power consumption rate.

When the device 102 determines an inactivity timer exceeds a thresholdtime period, the device 102 selects the non-image-based GRS as theactive GRS, as indicated at 406. The inactivity timer provides thedevice 102 with an elapsed time since the last user interaction or thetime the device 102 has been idle. As the inactivity time increases, sodoes the likelihood that a user who was previously using the device 102is finished doing so. For an embodiment, as the inactivity timer exceedsthe preprogrammed threshold time period, the device 102 switches fromthe image-based to the non-image based GRS to conserve power.

A user logging off or locking the device 102 serves as a strongerindication that the user is finished using the device 102 and that thedevice 102 will be idle for a period of time. When the device 102detects that it is locked or a logout of an account that was accessed onthe device 102 has occurred, the device 102 selects the non-image GRS asthe active GRS, as indicated at 408. The non-image-based GRS conservespower as the device 102 waits for gesturing input that will unlock thedevice 102 and/or again allow the user to access his account. For oneembodiment, the device 102 operates the non-image-based GRS at a lowerpower level as compared to a normal power level for the non-image-basedGRS when the user is actively using the device 102. The lower powerlevel can be achieved by intermittently activating the non-image-basedGRS as it is waiting for input, for example, by repeatedly turning thetransmitters 202 and sensor 204 off for a first duration of time, andturning them on again for a second duration of time. In a particularembodiment, the non-image-based GRS is cycled on and off every 200milliseconds until an input gesture is detected. An expected period ofinactivity is a context of operation because it relates to the operationof the two GRSs, each of which has different power requirement whileoperating in an idle mode.

In an embodiment 410 where the device 102 determines that an ambientlight level for the device 102 is below a threshold light level, thedevice 102 selects the non-image GRS as the active GRS due to the highcurrent involved in providing illumination for gesturing in low-lightconditions. In a further embodiment, the device 102 includes aphotosensor 220 configured to determine an ambient light level as thecontext of operation and the processing element 214 is configured toselect the non-image-based GRS as the active GRS when the ambient lightlevel is below the threshold light level. As defined herein, the ambientlight level is the light level that exists at the device 102 withoutillumination being provided by the device 102. Because the imager 218 isdependent on at least a threshold light level to capture images fromwhich gestures can be detected, the device 102 selects the non-image GRSwhen the ambient light level falls below that threshold. Thenon-image-based GRS uses the infrared transmitters 202 as a source ofillumination and is not adversely affected by low-light conditions.

When the ambient light level is very high, such as when the device 102is subjected to bright sunlight, the sensor 204 can have difficulty indetecting the infrared light emitted by the transmitters 202. In someinstances, the embedded signals created by pulsing the infrared LEDs 202on and off are “washed away” by a high level of infrared light in theambient spectrum. For an embodiment 412, when the device 102 determinesthat an ambient light level for the device 102 is above a thresholdlight level, the device 102 selects the image-based GRS as the activeGRS. In other embodiments, the device 102 is able to directly detectwhen the non-image-based GRS is not operating optimally. The ambientlight level is a context of operation because it affects the operationof the two GRSs, each of which functions best in a different range oflight conditions.

If, while the non-image-based GRS is active, the device 102 is expectinggesturing input based on previous input and/or a program that is runningon the device 102, and that input is not detected, the device 102switches to another GRS. For example, the sensor 204 receives infraredlight from the transmitters 202 as it reflects off a gesturing object,but the received light signal is too weak or intermittent to perform thegesture recognition function effectively. For a particular embodiment414, the device 102 selects the image-based GRS as the active GRS whenthe device 102 fails to detect a reflected portion of the infrared lightthat exceeds a threshold intensity. Failure to detect a sufficientportion of reflected infrared light is a context of operation because itrelates to the operation of the non-image-based GRS, which relies on thesensor 204 detecting a sufficient portion of reflected infrared light tofunction effectively.

For another embodiment 416, the device 102 determines that a programexecuting on the device 102 operates using gesturing input that includesa gesture that the non-image-based GRS is not configured to recognize,and the device 102 selects the image-based GRS as the active GRS. Thedevice 102, being configured for disabled persons, for example, mightallow a user to communicate with a friend having a similar device usingsign language or another gesture-based method of communication. Becausethe non-image-based GRS is incapable of processing the complex gesturesassociated with an image-based method of communication, such as signlanguage, the device 102 switches to the image-based GRS. As it does so,the icon 120 is emphasized over icon 122, thereby indicating to the userthat the image-based GRS is active. A program running on the device 102that requires image-based gesture recognition is a context of operationbecause it relates to the operation of the two GRSs, only one of whichis capable of image-based gesture recognition.

In one particular embodiment, while the communication program requiringthe image-based GRS is running, the camera 104 captures gesturing inputfrom the user of device 102, and the image-based GRS processes the inputto ascertain its content. In another embodiment, the device 102processes gesturing input it receives by comparing the input to alibrary database of gestures loaded from non-volatile storage 210 intomemory 212 when the device 102 is powered on or when the image-based GRSis activated. As each gesture is identified, the corresponding libraryimage is displayed on the user interface 118, as shown at 124, so theuser can verify his device 102 is receiving and interpreting his owngestures correctly. Moreover, as indicated earlier, the device 102 couldalso communicate the content to the device of a friend with whom theuser of device 102 is communicating, to be rendered as speech, text, orgesture-based output on the friend's device. For another embodiment,communications received from the friend's device are displayed on theuser interface 118 of device 102 as gestures, as indicated at 124.

The specific gesture shown at 124, in which the thumb touches the ringfinger, represents the number “7” in American Sign Language (ASL). Thisgesture can be used by a program running on the device 102 to: adjust avolume, a brightness, or a zoom setting to “7”; to select the 7th row orcolumn of a spreadsheet; or to dial the number “7” when making a call.In other instances, a program running on the device 102 does not benefitfrom the ability to accept complex gestures as input. This is the case,for example, with programs that only require limited input to functioneffectively.

Two such programs that require only limited input are an image viewerfor displaying a picture gallery and an audio player for listening to amusic library. These programs running on the device 102 represent acontext of operation because they define a mode of operation of thedevice 102. More specifically, while the image-based GRS is capable ofrecognizing more gestures, the non-image-based GRS is capable ofrecognizing a sufficient number of gestures to allow a user toeffectively control the operation of the programs. When the device 102determines that a picture gallery is being displayed or a music libraryis being played on the device 102, the device 102 selects thenon-image-based GRS as the active GRS, as indicated at 418 and 420,respectively. A picture gallery is a collection of picture files, storedon the device 102 or stored on a memory device (e.g., a Universal SerialBus (USB) drive or a Secure Digital (SD) card) interfaced with device102, that can be displayed in succession by the device 102 running animage viewer. Similarly, a music library is a collection of music files,stored on the device 102 or stored on a memory device interfaced withdevice 102, that can be played in succession by the device 102 runningan audio player.

For a particular embodiment, a gesture made by a user moving his handfrom left to right in front of the photodiode 114 causes the device 102to skip forward to the next image in a picture gallery or to the nextsong in a music library while the user interface 118 is kept off. A userreturns to a previous song or image by moving his hand from right toleft. By moving his hand upward, the user zooms in on an image beingdisplayed or increases the volume for a song being played. The user canzoom out or lower the volume by moving his hand in a downward direction,and by holding his hand in front of the photodiode 114, the user canpause a song being played. A further description of the types ofgestures that can be detected by the non-image-based GRS is providedwith reference to FIG. 5.

While a user might gesture while viewing pictures or playing music, heis unlikely to be gesturing while he is taking a call, especially if thedevice 102 is being held against his ear. Therefore, in an embodiment422, the device 102 selects the non-image-based GRS as the active GRSwhen the device 102 detects an active call is in progress. This allowsthe device 102 to conserve power and still enables it to accept limitedgesturing input. An active call on the device 102 represents a contextof operation because it relates to the operation of the two GRSs, eachof which is capable of recognizing a different number of gestures.

In another embodiment 424, the device 102 determines that image qualityis below a quality threshold for performing the gesture recognitionfunction, and the device 102 selects the non-image-based GRS as theactive GRS. Poor image quality is a context of operation because it is aconsequence of and relates to the operation of the image-based GRS,which is unable to operate effectively if the images it captures are ofinsufficient quality to determine gestures. Under certain conditions,other than or in addition to a low ambient light level, the imager 218is unable to capture images of sufficient quality to determine gestures,and the non-image-based GRS is selected. For example, one such conditionis motion the device 102 is subjected to. When the set of motion sensors208 are configured to characterize a motion of the device 102 as thecontext of operation, the processing element 214 is configured to selectthe non-image-based GRS as the active GRS when the motion ischaracterized as a motion that adversely affects performing the gesturerecognition function using the image-based GRS.

In one instance, a user running with the device 102 causes the camera104 to capture blurred images. The motion associated with runningincludes accelerations and decelerations in the vertical direction aswell as intermittent shocks that occur as the user's heels strike theground. In a first embodiment, the device 102 detects captured imagesare sufficiently blurred to fall below the quality threshold andconsequently switches from the image-based to the non-image based GRS.In a second embodiment, the device 102 detects the motion associatedwith running as one that will cause blurred mages and consequentlyswitches from the image-based to the non-image based GRS. For anembodiment, the type of motion is detected by the motion sensors 208 andidentified by the processing element 214.

In another instance, the device 102 being carried in a boat navigatingrough waters at high speed prevents the camera 104 from capturing clearimages. The device 102 switches from the image-based to the non-imagebased GRS based on either determining the captured images are ofinsufficient quality for, or determining the type of motion is one thatadversely affects, performing the gesture recognition function using theimage-based GRS.

For a particular embodiment 426, in which the device 102 includes anaccelerometer or a vibration transducer configured to determine a levelof vibration as the context of operation, the device 102 selects thenon-image-based GRS as the active GRS when the level of vibration isabove a first threshold level of vibration. In a further embodiment, thedevice 102 selects the image-based GRS as the active GRS when the levelof vibration is below a second threshold level of vibration. As usedherein, vibration refers to multiple changes in velocity, acceleration,and/or higher-order derivatives of position with respect to time thatoccur within a time interval. These changes can be in both magnitudeand/or direction, can be abrupt and/or smoothly transitioning, and canbe regularly occurring (e.g., footfalls while jogging) and/orunpredictable (e.g., road irregularities, such as potholes, whiledriving) in nature.

One or more of the motion sensors 208 detects vibration. For aparticular embodiment, a piezoelectric sensor takes both vibration andshock measurements. The resulting data is then sent to the processingelement 214, which quantifies a level of vibration from it using aprogrammed algorithm. The algorithm is designed to identify and weightypes of vibration based on how they affect the gesture recognitionfunction as performed by the image-based GRS. If the level of vibration,as quantified by the algorithm, is above the first threshold level ofvibration, then the device 102 selects the non-image-based GRS as theactive GRS. Conversely, if the level of vibration is below the secondthreshold level of vibration, then the device 102 selects theimage-based GRS as the active GRS. A high level of vibration is acontext of operation because it affects the operation of the image-basedGRS, which is unable to capture clear images as a consequence of strongvibrations.

For one embodiment 428, the device 102 determining the context ofoperation includes the device 102 determining that the imager 218 is inuse. The imager 218 being in use represents a context of operationbecause it defines an operation status of the device 102. The device 102then responsively selects the non-image-based GRS as the active GRSbecause the non-image-based GRS does not use the imager 218. In anexample, a user is using device 102 for video conferencing, whichrequires the use of the camera 104. The camera 104 represents the imager218 and is a component of the image-based GRS. While the camera is inuse, the device 102 selects the non-image-based GRS as the active GRS toallow the user to continue using gesturing to perform certain tasks,such as making a volume adjustment, without need of the camera 104.

For some embodiments (not shown), the device 102 selects one of aplurality of GRSs as an active GRS based on a compound context ofoperation. In an embodiment, an algorithm executed on the device 102determines the selection. The algorithm may be stored in non-volatilestorage 210 and loaded into memory 212 when the device 102 is poweredon. In one embodiment, the algorithm allows the device 102 to select anactive GRS without input from a user of the device 102. In anotherembodiment, the algorithm makes its determination based upon user input.This user input might include the user selecting a mode of operation.For instance, when a compound context of operation includes both aremaining power level for the device 102 below a threshold power leveland an ambient light level for the device 102 above a threshold lightlevel, the device 102 selects the non-image-based GRS if the user hasselected a power-saving mode of operation. For the same compound contextof operation, the device 102 instead selects the image-based GRS if theuser has selected a performance mode of operation.

In another embodiment, the user can force a selection of an active GRSby tapping the image-based 120 or the non-image-based 122 GRS icon onthe display 124. The user's choice represents a context of operationbecause it relates to the operation of a GRS in the device 102,specifically which GRSs will operate as the active GRS.

A schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the non-image-basedGRS in accordance with an embodiment of the present teachings is shownin FIG. 5 at 500. The non-image-based GRS includes a set of one or moreinfrared transmitters 504-508 configured to transmit infrared light, anda set of one or more infrared sensors 510 configured to receive thetransmitted infrared light when the light is reflected from an object514 in proximity to an electronic device 502. As used herein, an objectin proximity to a device, or an object proximal to a device, is anobject within a distance of the device that allows the non-image-basedGRS to detect the object. More specifically, the non-image-based GRSshown at 500 is integrated into a tablet computer 502 and includes aplurality of infrared light-emitting diodes 504-508, each light-emittingdiode having a different location on the electronic device 502, and eachlight-emitting diode configured to transmit infrared light with anembedded signal that distinguishes light transmitted from thatlight-emitting diode from light transmitted by other light-emittingdiodes of the plurality of light-emitting diodes 504-508. Thenon-image-based GRS shown at 500 also includes a single photodiode 510sensitive to infrared light, the photodiode 510 configured todistinguish between reflected infrared light received from differentlight-emitting diodes of the plurality of light-emitting diodes 504-508based on the embedded signal of the infrared light received by thephotodiode 510.

As shown at 500, light from the first LED 504 is pulsed on and off tocreate a first embedded signal, specifically a “dash-dash-dash” signal.Similarly, light from the second 506 and third 508 LEDs is pulsed tocreate a “dot-dot-dot” and a “dash-dot-dash” signal, respectively. As auser's hand 514 sweeps from left to right in front of the tablet 502,infrared light from the three LEDs 504-508 is reflected from the handand received by the photodiode 510. Because the hand 514 is closer tothe first LED 504 than the second LED 506, the total distance lighttravels to be received by the photodiode 510 is shorter for lightemitted by the first LED 504 as compared to light emitted by the secondLED 506. Therefore, light emitted by the first LED 504 is received atthe photodiode 510 with greater intensity as compared to light emittedby the second LED 506. The device 502, using a processing element (e.g.,processing element 214), determines a relative or absolute intensity forthe light received at the photodiode 510 from each of the three LEDs504-508. By associating each intensity with a particular LED using theembedded signals, the device 502 “triangulates” a position for the hand514.

As the hand 514 continues moving to the right, the intensity of lightthe photodiode 510 receives from the first LED 504 decreases as theintensity of light it receives from the second LED 506 increases. Inthis way, the device 502 is able to detect motion using thenon-image-based GRS. For an embodiment in which the hand 514 is movingdirectly toward or away from the device 502 along a line centeredbetween the three LEDs 504-508 and perpendicular to the plane theydefine, the ratios of intensities remains the same as the hand 514 movesbecause the three path lengths of light share a common (albeit changing)value. In this case, the tablet 502 is able to make inferences about thedistance of the hand and the direction in which it is moving fromanalyzing the absolute intensity of light received from the LEDs 504-508and how that intensity is changing.

In an alternate embodiment, the embedded signal transmitted by each LEDhas the same pattern, “dot-dot-dot,” for example. Each LED, however,transmits light of a different color or frequency. A light sensor, suchas the photodiode 510, can differentiate between the different colors oflight, by using an electronic discriminator, for example, to determinefrom which LED each detected light transmission originated.

In another embodiment, the set of infrared transmitters 202 comprises aplurality of infrared LEDs, such as the LEDs 504-508, each having adifferent location on a device, such as the tablet 502. Each LED isconfigured to transmit the same pulse or frequency of infrared light asthe other LEDs. Each LED, however, transmits its light at a differenttime from the other LEDs, such that only one LED is transmitting at atime. By using a time division multiple access (TDMA) method, the set ofinfrared sensors 204 can identify from which LED each light transmissionoriginated because each LED uses a different time slot for transmission.

In a further embodiment that includes the use of the TDMA method, theset of one or more infrared sensors 204 comprises a single infraredsensor, such as infrared sensor 510. The single infrared sensor 510 isconfigured to distinguish between the reflected infrared light 516-520received from the LEDs 504-508, respectively, based on different timeslots used by each LED rather than a different signal used by each LED.

For particular embodiments, the tablet 502 is configured to distinguishbetween at least two positions of a proximal object along each of threemutually perpendicular axes, and/or detect bidirectional motion of aproximal object along each of three mutually perpendicular axes. Thethree mutually perpendicular axes might include, for example, a first or“x” axis aligned horizontally along a user interface 512 of the tablet502, a second or “y” axis aligned vertically along the user interface512 of the tablet 502, and a third or “z” axis aligned horizontally andperpendicular to the user interface 512 of the tablet 502, with thethree axes intersecting at the center of the tablet's user interface512. In a first embodiment, the non-image-based GRS included within thetablet 502 can determine if the hand 514 is positioned near the leftside of the tablet's user interface 512 (x<0), near its right side(0<x), near its bottom (y<0), near its top (0<y), just above it (z=z₀),or farther away (z₀<z). In further embodiments, the non-image-based GRScan distinguish between more than two positions along one of more of thethree mutually perpendicular axes. This is done by analyzing theabsolute and relative light intensities.

In a second embodiment, the non-image-based GRS can distinguish betweendirections of motion along each of the three mutually perpendicularaxes. This includes the non-image-based GRS determining whether the hand514 is moving left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom totop, toward the user interface 512, or away from the user interface 512.For a particular embodiment, the non-image-based GRS recognizing thesesix motions in addition to the hand 514 being held stationary in frontof the tablet 502, allows the non-image-based GRS to process sevendistinct gestures than can be used to interact with the tablet 502. Inother embodiments, the non-image-based GRS is configured to mimic thefunction of popular interfaces through the use of gestures.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram 600 of a media player 602 that includesa classic-style 5-way navigation interface 604, which is found on someelectronic devices. Also shown in the diagram 600 is a non-image-basedGRS 606 configured as a modular unit. The unit 606 includes threeinfrared LEDs 608-612 and a photodiode 614 operating as an infraredsensor. For an embodiment, the unit 606 is substituted for the fivenavigation keys 604 at a time of manufacturing. This creates fivevirtual keys over which a user can position his thumb to navigate on themedia player 602 without actually touching it.

In a further embodiment, the three infrared LEDs 608-612 are configuredto direct their emitted light away from one another, as indicated by thecones 616-620. This allows the closely spaced LEDs 608-612 to achievebetter spatial resolution at larger distances while still being able tosimulate the dimensions of the classic-style interface 604 at closerdistances.

Two devices each equipped with a non-image-based GRS can also exchangedata with one another. This is illustrated in FIG. 7 by the schematicdiagram 700. The diagram 700 shows two electronic devices 702, 704,which in an embodiment are smartphones, using non-image-based GRSs totransfer a file between them. Indicated on the first device 702 is aninfrared transmitter 706 and an infrared sensor 710. The second device704 also includes an infrared transmitter 708 and an infrared sensor712. For an embodiment, the first device 702 determines it is toexchange data with the second device 704. The determination might bemade, for example, when a user of the first device 702 launches a datatransfer application. Given this context of operation, the first device702 selects its non-image-based GRS as its active GRS to facilitate theexchange of data. The first device 702 exchanges data with the seconddevice 704 by performing at least one of: using its infrared transmitter706 to transmit data to the second device 704, or using its infraredsensor 710 to receive data from the second device 704.

In a first example, the transfer of data is in a single direction, suchas when a picture is being sent to device 704 and no response isexpected. The diagram 700 shows the two devices 702, 704 while the firstdevice 702 is transmitting data to the second device 704. In a secondexample, the second device 704 also sends data back to the first device702. This might be done as a method of error correction. In this case,the infrared sensor 710 of the first device 702 receives infrared lightwith an embedded data signal from the infrared transmitter 708 of thesecond device 704.

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have beendescribed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates thatvarious modifications and changes can be made without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly,the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrativerather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intendedto be included within the scope of present teachings.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) thatmay cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is definedsolely by the appended claims including any amendments made during thependency of this application and all equivalents of those claims asissued.

Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second,top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish oneentity or action from another entity or action without necessarilyrequiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between suchentities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,”“having,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing” or any othervariation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, suchthat a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has,includes, contains a list of elements does not include only thoseelements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherentto such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by“comprises . . . a,” “has . . . a,” “includes . . . a,” or “contains . .. a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence ofadditional identical elements in the process, method, article, orapparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element. The terms“a” and “an” are defined as one or more unless explicitly statedotherwise herein. The terms “substantially,” “essentially,”“approximately,” “about” or any other version thereof, are defined asbeing close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and inone non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, inanother embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1% and inanother embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” as used herein isdefined as connected, although not necessarily directly and notnecessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is “configured” ina certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also beconfigured in ways that are not listed.

It will be appreciated that some embodiments may be comprised of one ormore generic or specialized processors (or “processing devices”) such asmicroprocessors, digital signal processors, customized processors andfield programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and unique stored programinstructions (including both software and firmware) that control the oneor more processors to implement, in conjunction with certainnon-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of themethod and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or allfunctions could be implemented by a state machine that has no storedprogram instructions, or in one or more application specific integratedcircuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certainof the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, acombination of the two approaches could be used.

Moreover, an embodiment can be implemented as a computer-readablestorage medium having computer readable code stored thereon forprogramming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform amethod as described and claimed herein. Examples of suchcomputer-readable storage mediums include, but are not limited to, ahard disk, a CD-ROM, an optical storage device, a magnetic storagedevice, a ROM (Read Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read OnlyMemory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM(Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) and a Flashmemory. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill,notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choicesmotivated by, for example, available time, current technology, andeconomic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principlesdisclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such softwareinstructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims arehereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for selecting a gesture recognitionsystem, the method comprising: determining an operation context of acomputing device; and selecting, based on the determined operationcontext of the computing device, a gesture recognition system from aplurality of gesture recognition systems in the computing device as anactive gesture recognition system for receiving input to perform one ormore gesture recognition functions, wherein the plurality of gesturerecognition systems comprises an image-based gesture recognition systemand a non-image-based gesture recognition system.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein determining the operation context further comprisesdetermining an ambient light level for the computing device, and whereinthe ambient light level affects the one or more gesture recognitionfunctions performed by the computing device.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the non-image-based gesture recognition system is selected asthe active gesture recognition system in response to determining thatthe ambient light level for the computing device is below a firstthreshold light level and wherein the image-based gesture recognitionsystem is selected as the active gesture recognition system in responseto determining that the ambient light level for the computing device isabove a second threshold light level.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining the operation context further comprises determining that thecomputing device is connected to an external power source, and whereinthe image-based gesture recognition system is selected as the activegesture recognition system based on the connection to the external powersource.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the operationcontext further comprises determining that a remaining power level forthe computing device is below a threshold power level, and wherein thenon-image-based gesture recognition system is selected as the activegesture recognition system based on the remaining power level for thecomputing device.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining theoperation context further comprises determining that an inactivity timerfor the computing device exceeds a threshold time period, and whereinthe non-image-based gesture recognition system is selected as the activegesture recognition system based on the inactivity timer.
 7. The methodof claim 1, wherein determining the operation context further comprisesdetermining that at least one of the computing device is locked or alogout of an account that was accessed on the computer device, andwherein the non-image-based gesture recognition system is selected asthe active gesture recognition system based on the computing devicebeing locked or logged out of the account.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein determining the operation context further comprises determiningthat an imager of the image-based gesture recognition system is in use,and wherein the non-image-based gesture recognition system is selectedas the active gesture recognition system.
 9. The method of claim 1further comprising transmitting infrared light while the non-image-basedgesture recognition system is the active gesture recognition system,wherein determining the operation context further comprises determininga failure to detect a reflected portion of the infrared light, whichexceeds a threshold intensity, and wherein the image-based gesturerecognition system is selected as the active gesture recognition systembased on the failure to detect the portion of the infrared light. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein determining the operation context furthercomprises determining that a program executing on the computing deviceoperates using input that comprises a gesture that the non-image-basedgesture recognition system is not configured to recognize, and whereinthe image-based gesture recognition system is selected as the activegesture recognition system based on the program executing on thecomputing device using the input that comprises the gesture that thenon-image-based gesture recognition system is not configured torecognize.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the operationcontext further comprises determining that a playlist of media contentitems is being played on the computing device, and wherein thenon-image-based gesture recognition system is selected as the activegesture recognition system based on the playlist of media content itemsbeing played back.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining theoperation context further comprises detecting an active call on thecomputing device, and wherein the non-image-based gesture recognitionsystem is selected as the active gesture recognition system based on theactive call.
 13. The method of claim 1 further comprising capturing animage while the image-based gesture recognition system is the activegesture recognition system, wherein determining the operation contextfurther comprises determining that an image quality for the image isbelow a quality threshold for performing the gesture recognitionfunction, and wherein the non-image-based gesture recognition system isselected as the active gesture recognition system based on thedetermined image quality.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein determiningthe operation context further comprises determining that the computingdevice is to exchange data with a second computing device, and whereinthe non-image-based gesture recognition system is selected as the activegesture recognition system to facilitate the exchange of data with thesecond device by performing at least one of: transmitting data to thesecond computing device using an infrared transmitter of thenon-image-based gesture recognition system; or receiving data from thesecond computing device using an infrared receiver of thenon-image-based gesture recognition system.
 15. A device configured toperform a gesture recognition function, the device comprising: aplurality of gesture recognition systems comprising an image-basedgesture recognition system configured to receive first gesturing inputusing an imager to perform the gesture recognition function and anon-image-based gesture recognition system configured to receive secondgesturing input without using an imager to perform the gesturerecognition function; and a hardware processor configured to determinean operation context of the device and select an active gesturerecognition system from the plurality of gesture recognition systems forreceiving input to perform the gesture recognition function.
 16. Thedevice of claim 15, further comprising a photosensor configured todetermine an ambient light level as the operation context, wherein thehardware processor is configured to select the active gesturerecognition system from the plurality of gesture recognition systemsbased on the ambient light level.
 17. The device of claim 16, whereinthe hardware processor is further configured to select thenon-image-based gesture recognition system as the active gesturerecognition system in response to determining that the ambient lightlevel is below a threshold light level.
 18. The device of claim 15,further comprising one or more motion sensors configured to characterizea motion of the computing device as the operation context, wherein thehardware processor is configured to select the non-image-based gesturerecognition system as the active gesture recognition system when themotion is characterized as a motion that adversely affects performingthe gesture recognition function using the image-based gesturerecognition system.
 19. The computing device of claim 15, furthercomprising at least one of an accelerometer or a vibration transducerconfigured to determine a level of vibration as the operation context,wherein the hardware processor is configured to select thenon-image-based gesture recognition system as the active gesturerecognition system when the level of vibration is above a firstthreshold level of vibration or the image-based gesture recognitionsystem as the active gesture recognition system when the level ofvibration is below a second threshold level of vibration.
 20. Thecomputing device of claim 15, further comprising: a plurality of lightemitting diodes, wherein each light emitting diode has a differentlocation on the computing device and is configured to transmit infraredlight with an embedded signal that distinguishes light transmitted fromthat light emitting diode from light transmitted by other light emittingdiodes of the plurality of light emitting diodes; and a photodiode thatsenses infrared light, wherein the photodiode is configured todistinguish between reflected infrared light received from differentlight-emitting diodes of the plurality of light-emitting diodes based onthe embedded signal of the infrared light received by the photodiode.